OAKHURST – The artists on Gallery Row in Oakhurst are putting their work on display for everyone passing by on Highway 41 to enjoy.
Inspired by the beautifully painted quilt square blocks now being displayed on barns across the U.S., artist Vivian Aumond Capone brought the idea to the Gallery Row art community.
“Vivian suggested we should do art blocks,” says Janet Morita, a watercolor artist whose work is on display at Timberline Gallery. “We loved the idea, so we all got 4×4 foot pieces of plywood and got to work.”
Janet says they first applied three coats of primer to the boards, then used either satin house paint or mural paint to create their artwork.
“Also, seven people took their photographs and had them printed on pieces of metal,” says Janet, who notes that they began working on their pieces about two months ago.
Today, Mike Muscato of Art Rout Signs in Oakhurst arrived at Gallery Row with a boom truck to lift all the art blocks into place on the north side of the building. In addition to doing the heavy lifting, Mike also printed a lot of the artwork that is now on display.
With the installation complete, there are now 19 artists represented in the array, from four of the shops on Gallery Row – Timberline Gallery, Gallery Yosemite, Stellar Gallery and Williams Gallery West. There are also plans for another 5 blocks to be placed on the wall facing Highway 41 in the coming months.
Anyone interested in purchasing one of the pieces is invited to stop in at Timberline Gallery. As the blocks are snapped up by art lovers, new blocks will be created to take their place.
Janet is quick to credit the dedication and hard work of textile artist Jacqueline Kurtt in the success of this project.
“Jacqueline was the driving force behind this,” says Janet. “She is the one who did all the technical work, got all the bolts and washers, got the boards, and just kept us organized. We could not have done it without her.”
